News from April 2012
Coakley alleges company ripped off state fund
Coakley BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed a lawsuit against a company that she alleges illegally obtained millions of dollars from a state fund for environmental cleanup projects at multiple gasoline service stations in the state.
Mo. clean water suit filed
Koster JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed a Clean Water Law violation lawsuit against the owner of two Boone County businesses on Thursday.
Ohio AG sues two car dealers
DeWine RAVENNA, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine filed lawsuits against two dealerships and their owners on Wednesday alleging multiple violations of Ohio's consumer laws.
N.Y. AG sues Sprint-Nextel for more than $300 million in taxes
Schneiderman MANHATTAN, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Sprint-Nextel Corp. for "deliberately" under-collecting and underpaying millions of dollars in New York state and local sales taxes.
Calif. court to cut staff, close courtrooms in wake of budget crisis
Edmon LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - The Los Angeles Superior Court announced Tuesday that it will reduce its staff by nearly 350 workers, close 56 courtrooms, reduce its use of court reporters and eliminate its Informal Juvenile Traffic Courts program.
Panel links PFOA exposure to kidney, testicular cancer
Deitzler PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - An independent panel of scientists has linked exposure to PFOA -- a chemical used in making non-stick coatings -- to both kidney and testicular cancer in humans.
Cordray's attorneys: Complaint good enough in market collapse case
Cordray NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - The state of Ohio's complaint against the three major credit rating agencies, rejected by a lower court judge, provides at least a "plausible" basis for relief, attorneys hired by the State argued in a brief Monday.
Second Circuit: Pfizer lost protection against asbestos suits
Angelos NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Because Pfizer used its logo on asbestos-containing products made by a company it acquired, lawsuits brought in Pennsylvania by the Law Offices of Peter Angelos may proceed, an appeals court has ruled.
CSX given discovery orders in racketeering case against firm
Peirce WHEELING, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - CSX Transportation will need to supply the asbestos firm it is suing with files from 10,000 cases that don't involve the firm.
Idaho SC mostly affirms ruling in case against tire company
Horton BOISE, Idaho (Legal Newsline) - The Idaho Supreme Court last week mostly upheld a ruling against a tire company that was found negligent for a family's car accident.
Bipartisan bill would bring change to asbestos lawsuits
Quayle WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Legislation introduced Wednesday would require more transparency from the asbestos bankruptcy trust system.
Seventh Circuit: Class action against Shell ultimately pointless
Easterbrook CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals judge had trouble finding the purpose of a class action lawsuit filed against Shell over its credit card receipts.
Md. AG reaches agreement with animal adoption agency
Gansler BALTIMORE (Legal Newsline) - Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler announced an agreement on Monday with an unregistered Calvert County adoption charity that had allegedly represented itself as an authorized 501(c)(3) when soliciting contributions.
N.Y. AG nets $2.3M in settlements
Schneiderman WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced two Medicaid fraud settlements on Wednesday with Westchester hospitals resulting in more than $2.3 million in recovered taxpayer funds.
New Ga. sunshine law enacted
Olens ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) - Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens announced a bill signed on Tuesday by Governor Nathan Deal that comprehensively rewrites Georgia's Open Meetings and Open Records Acts.
Ariz. SC: Jury may award no damages in wrongful death suits
Pelander PHOENIX (Legal Newsline) - The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Friday that a jury may award no damages in a wrongful death lawsuit, even if the claimants' trial testimony on damages is unopposed, if it deems that award to be "fair and just."
Mo. SC upholds state rule regarding new hospitals
Teitelman JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a state rule exempting new hospitals costing less than $1 million from the statutory requirement of obtaining a certificate of need is valid.
Fed courts rule against NLRB proposal; vote on 'ambush' bill next
Roberts CHARLESTON, S.C. (Legal Newsline) - A federal judge last week struck down a National Labor Relations Board proposal requiring all employers, including those in the private sector, to post a notice of employee rights.
Ninth Circuit: No remedy for paraplegic in case against Medtronic
Wallace SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals court has dismissed an Arizona man's lawsuit against Medtronic over the company's pain pump, which allegedly left the man paraplegic.
Ninth Circuit: Attorney must release plan to capture Superman
O'Scannlain PASADENA, Calif. (Legal Newsline) ' Stolen documents related to an attorney's fight to claim possession of Superman are no longer subject to attorney-client privilege, a federal appeals court has ruled.